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Complete Poetical Works
Complete Poetical Works

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Complete Poetical Works
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WILLOWS
NORTH BEACH
THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS
THE RITUALIST
A MORAL VINDICATOR
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Complete Poetical Works

Chapter II · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works is here in full — 157 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WILLOWS
/ðə ˈwɪloʊz/
Line 2
NORTH BEACH
/nɔːrθ biːtʃ/
Line 3
THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS
Line 4
THE RITUALIST
Line 5
A MORAL VINDICATOR
/ə ˈmɔːrəl vɪndəˈkeɪtər/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

beach noun US /biːtʃ/

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading “NORTH BEACH”

lost adjective US /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading “THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS”

moral adjective US /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading “A MORAL VINDICATOR”

north noun US /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading “NORTH BEACH”

tails noun US /teɪlz/

formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men

From this reading “THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS”

vindicator noun US /vɪndəˈkeɪtər/

a person who argues to defend or justify some policy or institution

From this reading “A MORAL VINDICATOR”

willows noun US /ˈwɪloʊz/

plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix

From this reading “THE WILLOWS”

All words in this reading · 12

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A MORAL VINDICATOR

BEACHnounUS /biːtʃ/

an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake

From this reading NORTH BEACH

LOSTadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS

MILETUS

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS

MORALadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading A MORAL VINDICATOR

NORTHnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading NORTH BEACH

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS

RITUALISTnoun

an advocate of strict observance of ritualistic forms

From this reading THE RITUALIST

TAILSnounUS /teɪlz/

formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men

From this reading THE LOST TAILS OF MILETUS

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE WILLOWS

VINDICATORnounUS /vɪndəˈkeɪtər/

a person who argues to defend or justify some policy or institution

From this reading A MORAL VINDICATOR

WILLOWSnounUS /ˈwɪloʊz/

plural of “willow” — any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix

From this reading THE WILLOWS

Chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works by Bret Harte holds 157 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works contain?

Chapter 2 holds 157 sentences of Complete Poetical Works, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 157 sentences, grouped into 32 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 2 of Complete Poetical Works?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 2 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Complete Poetical Works

Common questions about reading Complete Poetical Works by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Complete Poetical Works?

Yes. All 3299 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2507 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Complete Poetical Works is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2507, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Complete Poetical Works take to read?

About 274 minutes of reading across 660 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Complete Poetical Works section by section

How to work through Complete Poetical Works section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Complete Poetical Works to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Complete Poetical Works

Words and structures a reader meets early in Complete Poetical Works, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Complete
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Complete Poetical Works; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Poetical
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Complete Poetical Works; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Works
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Complete Poetical Works; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Harte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Complete Poetical Works; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.